River Birch landfill exec's fraud trial postponed until October

River Birch landfill executive Dominick Fazzio's federal fraud trial will be postponed until Oct. 22, according to court records. Fazzio, the embattled landfill's chief financial officer, had been set to face trial July 23 on 22 counts of fraud and conspiracy for allegedly helping his brother-in-law Mark J. Titus loot $1.2 million from Garner Services, a construction management firm co-owned and run by Titus.

U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan said at a scheduling conference held late last week that she will grant Fazzio's request to postpone the trial, according to court records that indicate the trial is expected to last five days.

Titus has pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy charge and is cooperating with prosecutors, who have used the case to pressure Fazzio to cooperate in a federal investigation of River Birch's efforts to monopolize the New Orleans garbage-disposal industry.

Prosecutors did not object to a defense request that potential jurors fill out a questionnaire to determine their exposure to information about the case. About a month before the trial, 100 potential jurors will be called to complete the questionnaire.